1. Field of the Inventions
The invention relates to a steering handle assembly for operating an outboard motor of watercraft and, more particularly, to a steering handle assembly having a low speed control switch for controlling the engine speed of the outboard motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Watercraft vehicles, such as boats, are often powered by an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine. The outboard motor can be attached to the aft end of a hull of a watercraft. A steering handle can extend from the outboard motor. The handle is used to steer and control the engine speed of the outboard motor. The steering handle can include a handle body and a rotatable grip. The grip can be rotated to control the engine output. A shift lever for changing the mode of operation of an associated watercraft can be positioned on the handle body. For example, the shift lever can be used to switch between forward, reverse, and neutral modes of operation.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-186653 discloses an outboard motor that has an air intake system for controlling the amount of air delivered to the internal combustion engine. The air intake system can have a flow regulating mechanism positioned along a bypass passage. The bypass passage provides air to the combustion chambers of the outboard motor to control the engine output for a low engine speed during, for example, idling, trolling and the like.
As shown in Japanese Patent Application No. HEI 2002-14235, a conventional low speed control switch can be attached to the grip of the steering handle. Unfortunately, if a speed control switch is mounted on the rotatable grip of a steering handle, the low speed control switch and the grip rotate together causing twisting of a lead wire connected to the low speed control switch. The twisting of the lead wire can cause wear.